FarmVille maker CEO: 'Our employees have a real love for Zynga'

Zynga went public this past Friday, and the results were ... less than favorable. But on top of a slipping stock price, investors and recruiters alike have voiced concerns that the company's offering will inspire staffers to cash out, or sell their stock in the company and abandon ship. Not according to what CEO and founder of the FarmVille creator, Mark Pincus, told Fortune.

"I'm not sure why there's been all that speculation other than that we've been in a quiet period," Pincus told Fortune. "Our company has historically had very low attrition, much lower than other public or private companies in Silicon Valley. I know that hasn't been reported on, but it's true. We also continue to have an amazing inflow of resumes and talent."

The man behind CityVille was referring to suspicions sparked by a scathing New York Times report in which an EA recruiter said that Zynga's intense culture might drive employees to sell their shares and join other companies. (In this recruiter's case, hopefully EA.) "Our employees have a real love for Zynga and real pride," Pincus told Fortune. "We've asked them not to go out and defend us in the press or blogs, so I don't think that's come through publicly yet."

However, even before Zynga filed to go public, employees have spoken out on the company's culture and Pincus's approach to the business of making games. As of this writing, Zynga shares hover around $8.80--over a dollar less than the company's initial $10 asking price. If Zynga employees are going to sell, now's the time to do it.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Do you think the Zynga IPO could result in an employee exodus? Would you leave the company now if you had enough shares in it?

Zynga drops IPO valuation to $10B, but it's still more than EA [Report]

The big red dog looks like it's playing it safe. According to Reuters, FarmVille creator Zynga has lowered its valuation--what a company is expected to be worth based on various conditions--from $14 billion to $10 billion for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). (Of course, the news outlet cites nameless sources in its report.) This would make Zynga worth less than gaming giant Activision Blizzard's $14.21 billion.

However, the CityVille maker would still be leaps and bounds beyond current second place company EA's $7.69 billion. According to market analysts, $14 billion would have been asking for too much in this shaky economic climate. "I think they must have realized that getting $14 billion or higher would be a tough thing in this market," Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia told Reuters. We were wondering how they would pull that off."

Other analysts suggest that Zynga wait to go public, as the company just released its fastest-growing game to date, CastleVille, and revenue from that game hasn't even been recorded yet. According to Reuters, the company still seeks to raise $900 million initially at $8 to $10 a share when it hits the Nasdaq as "ZNGA" on Dec. 16. Company CEO Mark Pincus and crew are also still expected to hit the road next week, showing their stuff to potential investors. And Zynga will have to fight tooth and nail against the media, other companies and its own numbers for those billions.